Analyse how your study of the ideas and values in Intersecting Worlds has deepened
your perception of the interplay between practicality and preservation.
The dichotomy between notions of practicality and preservation is an intrinsic aspect of literary
depiction of man’s relationship with nature. The tension between man’s use of the natural world
as a necessary resource and simultaneously appreciating it through spiritual, interpersonal and
aesthetic values, offers a medium for composers to challenge the audience’s perspective and
understanding of this interplay. Study of the Intersecting Worlds topic invited me to reconsider
my assumption that one’s connection to nature is characterised by their stance as idealising
either practicality or preservation of the land. Instead, my understanding has been deepened to
regard their interplay as a dynamic force with the ability to alter and enhance appreciation of the
natural world, whilst also considering the role of the environment as a practical resource.
Daniel Nettheim’s Australian drama, The Hunter (2011), emphasises the importance of the
natural world through a developed spiritual and emotional connection to it, which is realised
through themes of practicality and preservation. The main character, Martin, demonstrates this
through his relationship with the Tasmanian landscape and the Thylacine, his prey. Filmic
techniques such as the panoramic establishing shot, ethereal music and slow aerial camera
movements introduce the beauty of the remarkable landscape, but Martin is shown to be
detached from it, with the juxtaposition to a montage of him beginning his hunt. Martin regards
the land as a hunting ground, engaging with it with a sense of professionalism, symbolised
through the close-ups of his hands as he works, the lack of non-diegetic music and his central
placement in the frame. This proposes that consideration of the natural world in a practical
manner prohibits valuing it as something which should be preserved.
However, the climactic killing scene challenges this, highlighting the complexities within this
dichotomy, reinforced by Martin’s developed ethics and connection to the environment. The
series of cuts between Martin and the tiger symbolise his hesitation, as he reconsiders the
extremes of practicality, with the animal’s value as a resource to the Red Leaf corporation, and
his desire to preserve it as the last of its species. His change in morality is further emphasised
by the appearance of non-diegetic music, contrasting to previous scenes. Ultimately, his
decision to kill the tiger is an ambiguous one, framed as tragic and emotional, with the salient
image of Martin’s touch on the dead tiger and the body language as he crumples next to it
accentuating the use of pathos. The implication that Martin shot the tiger to prevent it being
weaponsied blurs the distinction between the aim of preserving the species and its
characterisation as a practical resource which can be utilised, by both Red Leaf and Martin with
his own purer objectives. Thus, my study of the Hunter allowed me to realise that practicality
and preservation become complex ideas, which are not necessarily binary opposites, when
emotional connection to nature is amplified.
Tim Winton’s memoir Island Home (2015) considers the tension between practicality and
preservation in regards to the Australian landscape, achieved through his use of an ecocritical
lens. Winton’s role as the central voice in the text allows an exploration into his own personal
experience of how Australia in a “postmodern and nearly post-physical age.” He ultimately
your perception of the interplay between practicality and preservation.
The dichotomy between notions of practicality and preservation is an intrinsic aspect of literary
depiction of man’s relationship with nature. The tension between man’s use of the natural world
as a necessary resource and simultaneously appreciating it through spiritual, interpersonal and
aesthetic values, offers a medium for composers to challenge the audience’s perspective and
understanding of this interplay. Study of the Intersecting Worlds topic invited me to reconsider
my assumption that one’s connection to nature is characterised by their stance as idealising
either practicality or preservation of the land. Instead, my understanding has been deepened to
regard their interplay as a dynamic force with the ability to alter and enhance appreciation of the
natural world, whilst also considering the role of the environment as a practical resource.
Daniel Nettheim’s Australian drama, The Hunter (2011), emphasises the importance of the
natural world through a developed spiritual and emotional connection to it, which is realised
through themes of practicality and preservation. The main character, Martin, demonstrates this
through his relationship with the Tasmanian landscape and the Thylacine, his prey. Filmic
techniques such as the panoramic establishing shot, ethereal music and slow aerial camera
movements introduce the beauty of the remarkable landscape, but Martin is shown to be
detached from it, with the juxtaposition to a montage of him beginning his hunt. Martin regards
the land as a hunting ground, engaging with it with a sense of professionalism, symbolised
through the close-ups of his hands as he works, the lack of non-diegetic music and his central
placement in the frame. This proposes that consideration of the natural world in a practical
manner prohibits valuing it as something which should be preserved.
However, the climactic killing scene challenges this, highlighting the complexities within this
dichotomy, reinforced by Martin’s developed ethics and connection to the environment. The
series of cuts between Martin and the tiger symbolise his hesitation, as he reconsiders the
extremes of practicality, with the animal’s value as a resource to the Red Leaf corporation, and
his desire to preserve it as the last of its species. His change in morality is further emphasised
by the appearance of non-diegetic music, contrasting to previous scenes. Ultimately, his
decision to kill the tiger is an ambiguous one, framed as tragic and emotional, with the salient
image of Martin’s touch on the dead tiger and the body language as he crumples next to it
accentuating the use of pathos. The implication that Martin shot the tiger to prevent it being
weaponsied blurs the distinction between the aim of preserving the species and its
characterisation as a practical resource which can be utilised, by both Red Leaf and Martin with
his own purer objectives. Thus, my study of the Hunter allowed me to realise that practicality
and preservation become complex ideas, which are not necessarily binary opposites, when
emotional connection to nature is amplified.
Tim Winton’s memoir Island Home (2015) considers the tension between practicality and
preservation in regards to the Australian landscape, achieved through his use of an ecocritical
lens. Winton’s role as the central voice in the text allows an exploration into his own personal
experience of how Australia in a “postmodern and nearly post-physical age.” He ultimately
